Ice-creeper



(Model.)

l G. HANCOCK.

1GB GRBEPER.

Patented Oct. 17, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HANCOCK, OF NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

ICE-CREEPER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 266,032, dated October 17, 1882.

Application led August 19, 188:2.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HANCOCK, of

' North Adams, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved lce Creeper for vRubber Shoes and Boots, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a detachable ice-Creeper which can be placed on rubber boots and shoes, and also on other than rubber boots and shoes.

The invention Consists iu constructing the body ofthe Creeper with an upwardly-projecting shank, and with a horizontal stem or plate on the latter, which plate carries a spring-Vastener, and in combining the said structure with a box-like receptacle that is set into the heel and adapted to receive said horizontal plate and its spring-fastener, all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, Figure I represents a side view ot' a shoe having my improved Creeper. Fig. 2 is a. bottom view ofthe same. Fig. is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section ofthe heel and Creeper attachment. Fig. 4 is a bottom view ot' the creeprr attachment; Fig. 5, a top view ot' the same; Fig. 6, an end view thereof'. Creeper' attach ment.

The letter A in the drawings represents a rubber shoe, and B is its heel. This heel has set into it the Creeper-receptacle C, which is a hollow box-like structure, open at its iront end, and provided with a slot or aperture, a, in its upper side, so as to produce a frontcrosspieee or shoulder-piece,t`. This box-like structure C is inserted in the heel so as to come pretty nearly Hush with the front end thereof', and is held fast in the heel either by being stitched to the back portion ofthe sole, or by being riveted thereto, or cemented fast in the process of forming or molding the heel on the shoe, or in any other suitable manner. As already stated, although particularly intended for rubber boots and slices, the invention is also applicable to ordinary leather boots and shoes, in which Case a skilled mechanic will nd no difeulty in properly securing the boXlike structure C, which is open in front and has the shoulder-piece t' in the top, within the heel.

D is the Creeperbody, which is a plate of sheet metal or other spbstance, having at proper intervals downwardlyprojecting spurs or prongs b, and which at its front end has an upwardly-projecting shank, d, that serves to Y Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the- (Model.)

carry a back wardl y-projectin g horizontal plate, e. This plate o is slotted or recessed, and has in the slot or recess a springfastener, f, that extends forwardly through an opening in the shank d, the rear end of said spring-fastener being secured to the rear portion ofthe plate c. The spring-fastenerfhas an upwardly-projecting rib, g. In order to secure this Creeper D to the shoe having the box C it is only necessary to insert the plate c into the open front end of that box and push it back until the shank d comes in Contact with .the front ofthe heel, or nearly so. This will bring the body of the Creeper D directly beneath the heel, resting Hush against the under side of it, and at the same time'the springf will be inserted far enough into the box to bring its projection g into the aperture a, directly behind the crossbar t', that terminates the aperture a in front. It the cross-bar i is made to extend downward, so as to form a shoulder to engage with the spriugcatch, the aperture (t may be dispensed with. In fact, a shoulder on the box C to engage au aperture in the spring f would be in every way equivalent to the rib g and aperture c. The force ot' the springf will be sntiicient to hold the rib g against the back edge ot' the Cross-bar i, and to prevent the spontaneous withdrawal ot' the Creeper; yet, whenever desired, it is easy to detach the Creeper from the shoe by simply depressing the sl'n'ingfslightly, so as to Carry the projection g clearoft'the crossbar t', and then pulling the entire Creeper attachment forward until it is altogether disengaged from the box C.

I claim- 1. The detachable ice Creeper D, having shank d, horizontal plate e, and spring attachmentf, in combination with the box C, which is open in front and has shoulder t' to engage with said spring attachment, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A boot or shoe having a box with Closed bottom and open at the end inserted in its heel, leaving the substance ot' the heel entirely. 

